Developing the next generation of leaders

Purpose Across companies, and even the public sector, there is a looming challenge as baby boomers and many current leaders retire. This is the challenge of developing the next generation of leadership ‐ not just at the CEO level, but in the various functions of the organization. Design/methodology/approach For this study, fifteen leading CFOs were interviewed, asking them to describe their journeys to leadership. Findings While the research was based on interviews of CFOs, the findings could pertain to many leadership roles in companies. Originality/value The research found there were five key traits to leaders: curiosity, courage, perseverance, personal ethics, and confidence. Of these five traits, what was surprising was the consistent importance of curiosity as a valued trait among nearly all the CFO participants.